This invention relates to a manually operated hand-held device for gathering fruit such as oranges, nuts, grapefruit, tangerines, etc., which are lying on the ground.
Heretofore devices have been used for gathering fruit such as for the present device. These devices are useful for their purpose yet they have drawbacks which the present invention overcomes. U.S. Pat. No. 3,115,740 is directed to a device having parallel assembled tines to which other tines are secured. The tines are spaced such that the fruit, nuts, etc. may be guided into the device by the tine arrangement. The tines are curved in the vertical plane so that they are not flat on the ground surface.
U.S. Pat. No 2,864,228 is directed to a nut or fruit gatherer which has spaced tines rigidly held together and provided with spaced slots which are secured to the tines. The slots hold the fruit in the basket formed by the shape of the tines. The tines are rigidly held together such that there is very little give between the tines as the fruit passes between the tines.